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Summer Game Fest showed off a ton of heavy hitters from indies to triple-As, and one of the most impressive, which was held until the latter parts of the event was Phantom Blade Zero, the Sekiro-like that made players forget souls-likes.
FromSoftware perfected the souls-like formula with Demon Souls and Dark Souls and opened up a gateway into a new genre that has touch-as-nails combat and mind-bending exploration. This resulted in a plethora of games from the Miyazaki-led developers who took the torch and ran away with it. Not only making unforgettable timeless masterpieces like Blood Bourne and Elden Ring, but also inspiring others to explore the genre and emulate the style in games like Lies of P, Star Wars: Survivor, and Nioh, among countless others.
The Souls-Like Formula Was Reinvented With the Release of Sekiro
The Soulsbourne stamina system, although innovative and balanced, just isn’t for everyone, with the hit-hit-dodge formula feeling repetitive, slow, and limited to those who have played games with faster combat. That’s where FromSoftware did it again and released Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, a more fast-paced game with the same recognizable level design from before, but no stamina bar in sight. Striking, running, and dodging came with no penalty, giving players the freedom to do what they want and focus on what matters most, the enemy.
As seen in the Phantom Blade Zero gameplay trailer from Summer Game Fest, which you can find below, developers S-Game have taken a page from Sekiro’s book but didn’t stop there. The Posture System from Sekiro has received a revamp and is now called the Sha-Chi meter, but it works in a familiar way. Players will be parrying attacks left and right and will have access to an ability called the Ghost Step. This will allow the player to phase away from the opponent in the form of a blood-red cloud and counterattack. The combat seems fluid, impactful, and different.
Unlike Sekiro, the protagonist’s fighting style is not samurai-like and is more inspired by Chinese Wuxia martial arts with exaggerated motions and familiar Kung Fu forms. According to the developers, the combat isn’t like Sekrio when it comes to attacking and is more akin to Devil May Cry or Final Fantasy 16.
Although not as extensive a list of weapons as Elden Ring, players will have access to a primary weapon that can combine combos with a secondary weapon with ultimate attacks thrown in for good measure. Devs promise over 30 different weapons including some long-range options that will change the way combat works.
Developers Reveal Details About Phantom Blade Zero During Summer Game Fest
The developers said in an interview that the reason their enemy designs and fighting styles are so unique is that the team wanted to bring back the spirit of the PS1 and PS2 era in terms of originality and creativity. That’s why the game has wall runs in traversal sections like Prince of Persia and vertical wall runs during combat as well. Exploration will have other segments with cliffs that the player can slide down like Uncharted, and other hidden areas littered across the map with collectibles.
Phantom Blade Zero will be available on PlayStation 5 and PC sometime in 2024. But there is a chance that it’ll get pushed into 2025 because there is no concrete date so far.
